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Portfolios%3D%22716%22%20and%20Century%3D%2215th%20Century%22
Sculpture
St. James
French artist, (active )
French artist
France
Primary
34 3/8 x 16 x 11 in. (87.3 x 40.6 x 27.9 cm)
.
.
.
overall
overall
Limestone
Limestone
French; made in Auxerre, Burgundy?
late 15th Century
1467
1499
1400-1600, Renaissance & Baroque, sculpture, St. James
Sculpture
In the Middle Ages, faithful Christians made pilgrimages to sacred sites in Europe and the Holy Land. One of the most important was to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain, dedicated to the Apostle Saint James the Greater. Numerous altars dedicated to Saint James were located in churches along the route, allowing the travelers to pray daily for a successful journey. This statue was originally placed in a niche above such an altar.
Here, Saint James is dressed as a pilgrim, wearing a broad-brimmed, black hat with the image of a scallop shell, a traditional Christian symbol of pilgrimage. He holds the customary staff that supported the pilgrim, giving him strength to overcome the forces of evil and arrive safely at the cathedral. The figure carries a scrip, or alms sack, that is also decorated with the scallop shell. The scrip symbolizes that the pilgrim, trusting in the Lord, carried very little money.
The sculpture retains much of its original coloring; slight traces of gilding can be seen on the edge of the saint’s cloak and the knobs of his staff.
[Gallery label text, June 2013]
front of base, S in red; other letters in black
1994.49
item
Memorial Art Gallery
1/29/2001
94.49TR1
transparency
2 x 3
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94.49SL1
slide
full-frontal
2 x 2
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glossy
8 x 10
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glossy
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negative
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94.49SL2
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full-profile left side
2 x 2
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94.49SL3
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full-profile right side
2 x 2
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94.49SL4
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detail, head frontal
2 x 2
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94.49SL5
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detail-purse w shell
2 x 2
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detail-base
2 x 2
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94.49DI1
digital image
2 x 3
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94.49DI#2
digital image
3/1/2010
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94.49DI#3
digital image
3/1/2010
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/94.49_A3.jpg
94.49DI#4
digital image
3/1/2010
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94.49DI#5
digital image
Detail
3/1/2010
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/94.49_A5.jpg